TARQ is elated to announce its participation at the second edition of Art Mumbai, showcasing works by eight artists that reflect diverse narratives of Mumbai. In addition, TARQ looks forward to participating in the sculpture walk curated by Veeranganakumari Solanki, featuring Vitamin Sea, Coastal Road Project 3 by Parag Tandel.
The works presented are couched in the artist's lived experiences and memories of the city, sitting alongside the social, historical, and political environments from which they emerged. Reading the works in context of Mumbai presents a range of factors that inform them and offers a striking new relief- from the architecture of new buildings and celebratory facades to familial histories and the nostalgia embedded in the city’s nooks and corners. The booth presents an understanding of how an artist’s practice is deeply embedded in their surroundings but also highlights the degree to which it is shaped by them.
Saju Kunhan’s Reclamation Land presents an aerial map of South Mumbai, highlighting the city’s continuous topographical changes. The work reflects on the transformation of what was once the ‘land of seven islands’ into a single landmass, persistently expanded through reclamation efforts. Kunhan critiques this irony, suggesting that gaining land often comes at the cost of losing vital ecosystems, challenging notions of power and belonging.
Adjacent to Kunhan’s exploration of landscape, Parag Tandel and Areez Katki look inwards and delve into personal and material histories. Tandel’s sculpture merges the cultures of the Koli fisherfolk and the Dhokra artisans from Chhattisgarh, embodying the coastal and plateau narratives of Mumbai. His collaboration with Adivasi communities from Kondagaon and the Koli community manifests in both sculpture and cyanotypes, archiving local folk foods and stories.
Katki draws from his childhood memories at home with his grandmother in Tardeo’s Parsi colony, gathering or repurposing textiles, the narratives break into abstraction. His works evoke both personal and historical narratives where doodle-like forms blend with a style of proto-writing that become hallmarks of his visual language.
Shifting focus to urban development, Pratap Morey documents developments like the ‘Naya Bharat’ metro system, donning an engineer’s safety jacket to capture the ongoing transformations of the city. His works depict a sense of confusion, illustrated through shrunken structures and intricate grid maps, reflecting the chaos of rapid change.
Vishwa Shroff’s work sits in comparison to Morey’s perspective with her examination of windows as symbols. Her Bombay Portraits nudge at the notion of portraiture, where the windows, removed from their natural surroundings, represent a certain ambivalence between the individual and the type, representing but simultaneously preserving the notion rather than portraying the likeness.
Through his photographs, Philippe Calia presents the city as a fictional object, intertwining narrative with the city’s eccentricities. Light Dada’s Plant (Jimmy Boy) captures fleeting moments of colour and shadow. Calia engages in micro-interventions with natural elements, exploring light’s interplay with urban settings, reminiscent of Dadaist and Surrealist principles.
Ronny Sen’s Blackfall Bandstand series captures the city’s liminal moments, blending nostalgia with a voyeuristic lens. He reflects, “I have been finding myself inexorably drawn... to witness the clandestine trysts of strangers, their furtive embraces, and stolen kisses – a voyeur's glimpse into the city's hidden heart...”
Lastly, Sameer Kulavoor’s Celebration Gates highlights the vibrant mandaps of Indian ceremonies as significant cultural markers. By examining their diverse materials and designs, Kulavoor connects contemporary urbanism in Mumbai to its architectural landscape, emphasising the transience and richness of cultural expressions.
Join us at Art Mumbai to experience this compelling exploration of the city through the eyes of the artists.
